COMMODITY, "current for --," allusion to practice of money-lenders, who forced the borrower to take part of the loan in the shape of worthless goods on which the latter had to make money if he could COMMUNICATE, share COMPASS, "in --," within the range, sphere COMPLEMENT, completion, completement; anything required for the perfecting or carrying out of a person or affair; accomplishment COMPLEXION, natural disposition, constitution COMPLIMENT, See Complement COMPLIMENTARIES, masters of accomplishments COMPOSITION, constitution; agreement, contract COMPOSURE, composition COMPTER, COUNTER, debtors' prison CONCEALMENT, a certain amount of church property had been retained at the dissolution of the monasteries; Elizabeth sent commissioners to search it out, and the courtiers begged for it CONCEIT, idea, fancy, witty invention, conception, opinion CONCEIT, apprehend CONCEITED, fancifully, ingeniously devised or conceived; possessed of intelligence, witty, ingenious (hence well conceited, etc.); disposed to joke; of opinion, possessed of an idea CONCEIVE, understand CONCENT, harmony, agreement CONCLUDE, infer, prove CONCOCT, assimilate, digest CONDEN'T, probably conducted CONDUCT, escort, conductor CONEY-CATCH, cheat CONFECT, sweetmeat CONFER, compare CONGIES, bows CONNIVE, give a look, wink, of secret intelligence CONSORT, company, concert CONSTANCY, fidelity, ardour, persistence CONSTANT, confirmed, persistent, faithful CONSTANTLY, firmly, persistently CONTEND, strive CONTINENT, holding together CONTROL (the point), bear or beat down CONVENT, assembly, meeting CONVERT, turn (oneself)CONVEY, transmit from one to another CONVINCE, evince, prove; overcome, overpower; convict COP, head, top; tuft on head of birds; "a cop" may have reference to one or other meaning; Gifford and others interpret as "conical, terminating in a point"COPE-MAN, chapman COPESMATE, companion CORV (Lat. Copia), abundance, copiousness CORN ("powder - "), grain COROLLARY, finishing part or touch CORSIVE, corrosive CORTINE, curtain, (arch.) wall between two towers, etc.
CORYAT, famous for his travels, published as 'Coryat's Crudities' COSSET, pet lamb, pet COSTARD, head COSTARD-MONGER, apple-seller, coster-monger COSTS, ribs COTE, hut COTHURNAL, from "cothurnus," a particular boot worn by actors in Greek tragedy COTQUEAN, hussy COUNSEL, secret COUNTENANCE, means necessary for support; credit, standing COUNTER. See Compter COUNTER, pieces of metal or ivory for calculating at play COUNTER, "hunt --," follow scent in reverse direction COUNTERFEIT, false coin COUNTERPANE, one part or counterpart of a deed or indenture COUNTERPOINT, opposite, contrary point COURT-DISH, a kind of drinking-cup (Halliwell); N.E.D. quotes from Bp.
Goodman's 'Court of James I.: "The king...caused his carver to cut him out a court-dish, that is, something of every dish, which he sent him as part of his reversion," but this does not sound like short allowance or small receptacle COURT-DOR, fool COURTEAU, curtal, small horse with docked tail COURTSHIP, courtliness COVETISE, avarice COWSHARD, cow dung COXCOMB, fool's cap, fool COY, shrink; disdain COYSTREL, low varlet COZEN, cheat CRACK, lively young rogue, wag CRACK, crack up, boast; come to grief CRAMBE, game of crambo, in which the players find rhymes for a given word CRANCH, craunch CRANTON, spider-like; also fairy appellation for a fly (Gifford, who refers to lines in Drayton's "Nimphidia")CRIMP, game at cards CRINCLE, draw back, turn aside CRISPED, with curled or waved hair CROP, gather, reap CROPSHIRE, a kind of herring. (See N.E.D.)CROSS, any piece of money, many coins being stamped with a cross CROSS AND FILE, heads and tails CROSSLET, crucible CROWD, fiddle CRUDITIES, undigested matter CRUMP, curl up CRUSADO, Portuguese gold coin, marked with a cross CRY ("he that cried Italian):, "speak in a musical cadence," intone, or declaim(?); cry up CUCKING-STOOL, used for the ducking of scolds, etc.
CUCURBITE, a gourd-shaped vessel used for distillation CUERPO, "in --," in undress CULLICE, broth CULLION, base fellow, coward CULLISEN, badge worn on their arm by servants CULVERIN, kind of cannon CUNNING, skill CUNNING, skilful CUNNING-MAN, fortune-teller CURE, care for CURIOUS(LY), scrupulous, particular; elaborate, elegant(ly), dainty(ly)(hence "in curious")
CURST, shrewish, mischievous CURTAL, dog with docked tail, of inferior sort CUSTARD, "quaking --," " -- politic," reference to a large custard which formed part of a city feast and afforded huge entertainment, for the fool jumped into it, and other like tricks were played. (See "All's Well, etc."ii. 5, 40)
